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Thanks for all the very informative replies! I've learned so much from this thread. I agree that the cold isn't really a concern for me, most of our cold days are b/c of the windchill. Even then, rabbits would be in more danger of blowing away or being hit by debris than freezing (if they were outdoors).

Acclimating them to the heat makes a lot of sense too. Part of the reason I'm wanting to go to local shows is b/c I hope to buy from local breeders. I figure their rabbits will handle the weather better. I want to avoid using an A/C as much as possible b/c of the cost of the unit, cost of running it and the trouble of setting it up and running power to it. I'm also concerned about what happens if the power goes out (the wind has knocked the power out more than once).

In another thread, someone mentioned a specific type of ventilation, where there are vents towards the floors, which draw cooler air in, and vents near the roof, that let the rising hot air out. This sounds like a good setup for my future rabbitry both with or without box fans. The garage also has doors than can be left open to varying degrees and a concrete floor that seems to stay permenantly cool.

Breeding for it is a very intriguing idea. I can remember all the complaints about rabbits "going sterile b/c of the heat" in my 4-H days (Holland Lops were mentioned more than most other breeds). Breeding for heat tolerance sounds like a good solution but then how do you do that when they won't breed b/c of the heat? Definatley sounds like something I should try though!

Legacy wrote:I'm in North Texas and we have gotten up to 106 this month. It is hard keeping rabbits outside in this heat but I haven't lost any due to heat yet. The rabbits got used to the heat over time. Anything 100 or less, I don't worry about at all now. My rabbits are used to that. Anything over 100, I make sure they have frozen bottles or mister/sprinkler on them.[...]It will probably be Sept before we can breed again though.

Legacy, I'd love to know what kind of set up and breed(s)you have?

Alltogether, I'm feeling better about the heat and my planned set up.

Last edited by mi_ku on Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ilovehome wrote:Nope, not Nancy. Does she live in western AR? I plan to be at the state fair, so see you there?

Yeah, and if I remember correctly, she lives near Mena.

I haven't totally made up my mind on the State Fair, but when the rubber meets the road, I'll probably bring a couple of white satins along.

__________ Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:01 pm __________

mi_ku wrote:Acclimating them to the heat makes a lot of sense too. Part of the reason I'm wanting to go to local shows is b/c I hope to buy from local breeders.

Depends upon what time of year you buy them. I'm going to pick up a trio of rabbits from WI this coming February. Would I ever try it in the summer? Not likely, because it's a bit too extreme in terms of change and adaptability. I will tell you this, though. If there are some really good breeders nearby, it's not a bad idea to buy from them. The neat thing about buying from another part of the country is that your bloodlines aren't going to be like everyone else that you meet at shows.

I want to avoid using an A/C as much as possible b/c of the cost of the unit, cost of running it and the trouble of setting it up and running power to it. I'm also concerned about what happens if the power goes out (the wind has knocked the power out more than once).

Absolutely. It raises as many ??? as answers.

In another thread, someone mentioned a specific type of ventilation, where there are vents towards the floors, which draw cooler air in, and vents near the roof, that let the rising hot air out.

You can buy them at any home improvement store (Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware). Around here, they're called attic exhaust fans, but they're liable to have a more technical term for it. At the very least, just tell a store associate that you're interested in putting in some fans to produce circulation into and out of the attic of a house. They'll know what you're talking about. Not really sure about vents for the floors, though.

The garage also has doors than can be left open to varying degrees and a concrete floor that seems to stay permenantly cool.

That's a good idea until the concrete gets hot, then it's going to hold heat for along time. The ticket will be to spray the floor down from time to time during the day.

Also, don't look down on box fans. Hang them from the ceiling, and they're pretty effective at keeping your fly problems to a minimum.

The satin artist/breeder formerly known as Billylilwigeon.

"Luck is the sense to recognize an opportunity and the ability to take advantage of it... The man who can smile at his breaks and grab his chances gets on.”-- Samuel Goldwyn

Well, right now, I have mostly meat rabbits for our own family so we have a lot of meat mutts (cali/nzw/flemish mixes)as well as standard rex and satins.

We have a very large chicken pen that surrounds a big group of mature live oak trees. We have our rabbit cages set under those trees in the pen. It is usually a couple of degrees cooler under the trees than it is under a non-natural shade. And the pen keep predators from being a problem.

We have one set of cages built for almost free by my dh using this guy's cage as a guide. It's fantastic. Then I have 2 other sets of cages that I got from the flea market with 3 wholes each.

I'm not sure what I will do in the winter. Last winter, my rabbits were in a colony, this year, I have cages so I am not sure how I'm going to make sure they stay warm enough. I was thinking of hinging a piece of plywood on the cage my dh built so that it can be brought down over the side but I'm not sure if they would get enough fresh air that way.

My current approach to would-be-suitors of my beautiful teen daughters is to have "the talk" with the young man on butcher day. It is so effective!

When using the natural tendencies of hot air to rise-- the exhaust 'openings' in building peaks need to be large enough to handle the 'flow'---- otherwise, the hot air layer gets thicker. In Physics Class-- we considered air as a liquid-- so think like that when planning the sizes of openings-- A pound of hot air is much 'larger' than a pound of cool air-- and the exits must be appropriate-- that is why blowers and fans help with the exhausting of the hot air.

Ridge vents (practically invisible inside and out) can help move a lot of hot air- provided the airflow to them is unobstructed. I Love watching the turbine vents spin on hot days-- That is a sure sign the passive cooling system is working!

Also-- Consider this-- the "raised center aisle" design of many horse barns is ideal for passive cooling methods, as the heat rises to an area that the animals are not occupying. I should think, even with a shorter barn or outbuilding, following the same design, would be beneficial.

TerryHelp keep two Medical Service Dogs in top health: gofundme.com/1yvfgk

I like the cage in that link but for Texas heat, It would probably be better to make the back out of the wire that the front is made of (which I wouldn't use chicken wire for unless I had it in a fence that dogs couldn't get to) and then hinge the plywood where it could cover the back in the winter but leave it open in the summer for the breeze.

My current approach to would-be-suitors of my beautiful teen daughters is to have "the talk" with the young man on butcher day. It is so effective!

Definitely make the sides or the back wire and don't use chicken wire. Even rabbits themselves can tear chicken wire. The only use for chicken wire is to keep poultry in and nothing else or nothing out.

i keep my rabbits in a concrete floored building with an attic, the rabbit area can heat up to 98 although i can usually keep it much cooler with fans and spraying the walls and driveway outside with water. i haven't had problems with sterility yet. i can't be much help with minimum temp because it always stays pretty toasty in there in the winter even without a heater. the attic provides great insualtion and the walls are brick with insualtion too so i usually don't have a problem with it getting super cold.

Any info on minimum temperatures for baby rabbits? I have some that will be 3 weeks old tuesday that I'd like to move to an outdoor hutch/grow out pen. We're currently getting temps during the day between 60-80 and at night 40-60. A couple light frosts but usually nothing close to freezing until Halloween.

If the kits are with their Dam,and she has built a substantial nest,they are protected from direct windsthey should be fine. My Does Kindle year-round [upstate N.Y.]and they do just fine. I will bring a nestbox in the house onlywhen we get an extreme bout of COLD weather.Ottersatin.

I guess what quanities as "COLD" though? They are no longer in the nest they are drinking & eating on their own and driving her a little nuts. I'm not positive they are still nursing. I have the nest in there but they just play in it.

The outdoor hutch I"m considering has a wire area with a solid roof & back and a solid area .

I feel that three weeks old is a bit young to separate them from their momma, even if they are not nursing. Unless she is pregnant and nearly due to kindle, they are likely still getting some milk and they may still be using the nest box at night, even if they only play in it during the day. If mom needs a break, can you give her something to jump up on so that the kits can't bug her? Or perhaps pull her out to a quiet place for a few hours during the day? It can be an awkward phase, but fortunately it doesn't last long.

When you do move them to the grow out pen, I suggest giving them a cardboard carton with hay inside. Seal it up and cut a couple of kit-sized holes in the side for doorways. It will give them a cozy place to shelter if the temperatures drop and will also provide them with hours of fun while they remodel it.